The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at UConn has unveiled a new state-of-the-art facility to support their growing work on occupational heat safety.

The National Laboratory for Occupational Heat Safety at UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute Powered by Magid & MISSION officially opened on Nov. 12 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the 750-square-foot site in Gampel Pavilion.

KSI has a close relationship with both MISSION and Magid to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their products through KSI’s robust scientific testing and research capabilities.

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with both MISSION and Magid,” says Douglas Casa, KSI CEO and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in Kinesiology. “Our collaboration does so much to improve safety for laborers and athletes around the world. It provides credibility for the effectiveness of innovative products, and KSI has even more experience working with these populations in real-life conditions in the best facilities possible.” 

The National Lab for Occupational Heat Safety is KSI’s second state-of-the-art facility on UConn’s campus to conduct its heat safety research, the first being the MISSION Heat Lab which opened in 2017.

“MISSION is proud to partner with KSI on our second Heat Lab at UConn. Through innovative solutions like cooling, we’re dedicated to improving heat safety for both laborers and athletes in all conditions. We’re excited to continue this journey together and look forward to the accomplishments we’ll achieve at the new Occupational Heat Safety Lab,” says MISSION CEO Jocelyn Thornton.

Founded in 2009 by a group of world-class athletes, including Serena Williams, Dwyane Wade, and Drew Brees, MISSION is a leader in head-to-toe cooling and heat-relief product innovations designed to improve safety and performance for anyone who works, plays, or lives in the heat. With a strong commitment to addressing heat-related risks, MISSION has established its Heat Health™ & Safety division, focused on providing comprehensive solutions that enhance employee safety in high-temperature environments.

“We’re proud to partner with KSI, an organization that shares our commitment to protecting workers from preventable injuries. Together, we’re combining innovation and expertise to advance heat safety solutions that keep people safe where it matters most — on the job,” says Gary Cohen, family owner and senior director of global product strategy and quality at Magid.

Founded in 1946, Magid is a fourth-generation and family-owned leader in the safety industry using in-house manufacturing and a worldwide network of suppliers to create personal protective equipment innovations.

“This new facility ideally positions KSI to be a major player to increase attention and understanding of what we can do to keep workers productive and safe when they have to do their jobs in the heat,” says Casa.

Alongside being able to study the impact of heat, humidity, sun, and wind, the new facility will allow KSI’s team of researchers to expand their work to altitude up to 12,000 feet. The facility contains equipment that can remove oxygen from the air, mimicking high-altitude conditions. This is important as workers and warfighters are sometimes battling not just extreme heat, but altitude as well.

KSI has been a global leader in heat safety research since its founding in 2010. Their work focuses on three populations: athletes, warfighters, and laborers. Because of their specialized research capabilities and unique expertise, KSI serves as a heat mitigation provider for some of America’s largest companies, like Delta Airlines and UPS, to tackle the health and economic impact of heat stress. KSI is located within UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and the institute recently expanded with a satellite lab, KSI at UNF, within the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida.

“The Korey Stringer Institute and its globally recognized faculty from the Department of Kinesiology provide a world-class demonstration of UConn’s commitment to impactful research, preeminent expertise, and public service,” says UConn President Radenka Maric. “This new facility is a welcome addition to our University, and will help KSI expand and enhance its mission, which is more critical now than ever.”

As the planet continues to warm, the need for research on laborer heat safety has only been increasing, calling for KSI to expand its research capacity.

“Heat is an ever-present risk in an ever-warming climate, and it’s likely going to continue increasing at an exponential pace,” Casa says. “Each ensuing year will likely have greater risk than the year before.”

For more information, visit https://today.uconn.edu/.